{Thanksgiving 2013} hey gord-eous

Because we spend Thanksgiving at my in-law's home, I don't get to decorate a Thanksgiving table.  But that doesn't stop me from dreaming about the day that I can fit more than four people at my dining room table and we can host Thanksgiving for our family.  & this lovely autumn gord centerpiece in a rich fall palette?  It's high in my Thanksgiving-of-the-future dreams!

Do you host Thanksgiving or spend it family or friend's home?

Photo: via

{weddings} fall, koru-style

I've been honored to feature beautiful real weddings in the past year & a half, including some incredible fall weddings.  Now that fall is here in all its apple cider glory, I thought it might be fun to revisit my favorite fall wedding images from the Koru archives.  Let's call it fall, koru-style.

My favorite Koru fall wedding images also happen to represent my a few of my favorite things about fall.  Colored leaves. Plump pumpkins.  Beautiful mums.  Golden oranges & yellow.  Fall is a season rich with delights!

Photo 1: Guy Heart Studio via; Photo 2 & 3: Ampersand Wedding Photography via; Photo 4: Karen Feder Photography via; Photo 5: Lucas DeSousa Photography via

{wedding cakes} mum's the word

Fall mums have made their grand entrance in my home sweet home of Hoboken.  In glorious shades of autumn, they grace the front stoops of brownstones & beautify the landscape of parks.  Mums equal fall, it's that simple.  So is there anything more perfect for a fall wedding cake than a fresh golden-orange mum topper?  Celebrate the season, celebrate the love!      

Photography: Red Fly Studio via

{weddings} Welcome, Autumn 2013

A little something special happened while I was taking a blogging break for a beautiful wedding: Autumn officially arrived!  The season of chilly nights, changing leaves and hot apple cider is here.  &, of course, Autumn weddings are happening!  In celebration, I've gathered a few favorite Autumn wedding images for you to enjoy.

Welcome, Autumn!  I am so happy you're here.

Photo 1: Olivia Leigh Photographie via; Photo 2 & 4: Best Photography via; Photo 3: Cappy Hotchkiss Photography via; Photo 5: With Love & Embers via

pretty

Just a pretty Autumn bouquet today because sometimes just a little pretty is enough.

Image Cluney Photo via

leftovers

* Due to a little miss Hurricane Sandy headed our way, I am writing all posts in advance this week.  My thoughts & prayers are with everyone in her path.  May you be safe & well!

  

 

Wondering what to do with your leftover Halloween pumpkins?  Well, wise Martha Stewart suggests hallowing out your pumpkin, filling it with Fall flowers & surrounding it with votive candles.  Here you've got a gorgeous arrangement in lovely Fall hues; you could easily use carnations or another affordable flower for a similar look.  If you really attempt this Fall beauty, before putting your flowers in the pumpkin, use floral foam or place your flowers in a glass before placing them in the pumpkin.  Your pretty flowers will stay watered & fresh-looking for as long as possible.  Easy, peasey.

Too bad I drew on my pumpkins with Sharpies!

Image: via

Welcome, Autumn

Every season has a special place in my heart: winter brought me our engagement AND our wedding, spring gives me warm breezes & daffodils, summer provides me with sunny beach days & autumn doles out hot apple cider & pumpkin patches.  As it's my nature to be fair, I've never declared a favorite season.  Until now.  Autumn is my very favorite season!

Autumn officially arrived last weekend but I had begun my Autumn celebration long ago.  I was excited to kiss Summer good-bye & I pulled out my candy corn hurricane & pumpkin spice candle the very first week of September.  As the official start of Autumn drew closer & closer, I got more excited about crisp days, colorful leaves & hot apple cider.  It slowly became quite clear that Autumn is my very favorite season. 

To officially welcome Autumn on the blog, I didn't think there was anything more perfect than this sophisticated Autumn centerpiece.  I love the typical rusts & browns of Autumn mixed with unexpected blush & cream.  Such a stunning combo!  & those miniature white pumpkins just steal my Autumn-loving heart.

Welcome, Autumn; I am so very happy that you are here.  Do you have a favorite season?

{Real Wedding} Melissa & Phillip

Who doesn't love a good love story?  Partner a good love story with a gorgeous Southern wedding &, well, I'm hooked.  Let's dive in with the pretty images of Melissa & Phillip's wedding by Lauren D. Rogers Photography:

Oh so pretty!

Melissa & Phillip were destined to meet as their paths kept crossing.  Both attended the University of Virginia.  They only meet briefly.  Both worked at the same consulting firm in Atlanta.  They met again when they were placed on the same project.  They became friends, they became a couple &, finally, in October 2011, they became husband & wife.

Melissa & Phillip's autumn wedding took place at Clifton Inn, a stately white manor house in a beautiful setting surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The day was infused with the glorious oranges, reds & yellow of the autumn season accented with deep blue & dark purple.  With details like a bourbon bar, a bourbon whiskey guest book & grits favors, the Bride & Groom laced nods to their Southern heritage throughout the celebration.  Perhaps the best detail of all is Melissa's cheery, gorgeous smile in every photo, exuding such happiness on her wedding day!  

Melissa & Phillip said "I Do!" in an outdoor ceremony full of autumn-colored flowers, sunny skies & family & friends.  The romantic wedding celebration continued inside the manor house with dinner, dancing & merriment.  The fun night concluded with a festive sparkler departure for the Bride & Groom.  What a perfect beginning to the new chapter of Melissa & Phillip's love story!    
 

VENDOR LOVE

Photography: Lauren D. Rogers Photography  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights  /  Ceremony & Reception Venue: Clifton Inn  /  Event Planner: Beehive Events  /  Band: The John Winntet  /  Make-up Artist: Daphne Latham  /  Cake: Clifton Inn  /  Tent: Skyline Tent Company

{Sneak Peek} Melissa & Phillip

Here's a juicy sneak peek at the fabulous wedding coming next Wedding Wednesday:

I promise you that it's a beauty that you don't want to miss!  With a sweet love story & a darling autumn wedding to match, Melissa & Phillip's wedding story is sure to inspire.  I can't wait for you to see it!!  Color me very excited!

Till then, Happy Weekend!

Photo by Lauren D. Rogers Photography

{wedding rings} Au Natural

As a self-proclaimed wedding addict, I have my favorite go-to details when I look at wedding photos.  Cool getaway cars for one.  Ring shots filled with the personality of the couple & the feel of their wedding day.  They can be anything from cheeky to beautiful to casual but they are always unique.

The pinecone ring shot captured my ring-shot loving heart.  Without knowing one other detail about this wedding, you can guess it's an outdoor wedding for nature lovers.  This photo captures the spirit of the wedding perfectly.   When you learn that it's an outdoor Fall wedding near a cabin on a gorgeous property, well, this ring shot just makes sense.  LOVE!    

Do you like ring shots as much as me?  What are your favorite wedding details?

Photo by Heather Armstrong via

All You Need

Don't you wish you could whip up something Fall fabulous like this pumpkin centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table?

RZ & I don't have a Thanksgiving table per se as we travel to my in-law's home for the holiday.  There is no room for plates on their table, let alone decor.  Their table is a true bounty of a Thanksgiving feast, filled with delicious, abundant American & Filipino food.  We serve ourselves from the dining room table, then scatter about the rest of the house to eat & enjoy the family day.

My childhood Thanksgivings consisted of an adults' table & a kids' table.  The adults' table was a formal affair with pretty china & flickering candles while the kids' table was a folding table with festive paper plates.  Later, they trusted us with a real china but it was tough to graduate to the adults' table.  I'm still at the kids' table, sigh.  There's only so much room at a dining room table!

I suppose you could have a blanket picnic on your living room floor & it wouldn't matter.  All you need is family, love & gratitude for Thanksgiving.

Is your Thanksgiving table a formal, candlelit, place card type?  Or is it a more casual, mix & match china, food-filled type?        

Image by Heather Armstrong Photography via Inspired by This

Gone Wedding

RED, the color of Saturday's Wedding

Image by Jonathan Ivy Photography

via The Knotty Bride

Koru Family & Friends, here's the deal: the blog will be silent for the remainder this week.  Why?  Because I'm thoroughly & happily entrenched in wedding planning this week.  Saturday is the BIG day!!! 

I met this sweet Bride back in December when I was in the final stages of planning my wedding.  She had bright, beautiful ideas for her Fall wedding day.  It's been a true honor & absolute privilege to see those ideas grow & blossom.  I can hardly wait to help bring those very ideas to life on Saturday to celebrate this happy couple's positive new beginning!

Before Saturday, there are schedules to be finalized, details to solidify, vendors to confirm & much, much more.  So consider me Gone Wedding. 

As for you & me, we'll meet again next week~

Pumpkins, Pumpkins & More Pumpkins

Tonight, I have a date with my cutie 2-year-old goddaughter to paint three baby pumpkins.  I'm so thrilled to be seeing & experiencing Halloween through a little one's spirited eyes. We have three small pumpkins & primary color paints: the making of a very seasonal good time!


We'll be sticking to the basics with our pumpkins but there is nothing wrong with a little Halloween pumpkin dreaming is there?!


Behold the Autumn beauty of this incredible pumpkin path:

Image via Country Living

The most delightful curlicue pumpkin:

Image via Country Living

Simple, dimple!  Disguise your pumpkin with a vintage (as shown) or new Halloween mask:

 Image via Country Living

Black & white pumpkins, achieved with black paint or Sharpie marker, are tres Halloween chic:

Image via Country Living

I loved Lite-Brite as a kid so this Lite-Brite-effect, crescent moon pumpkin has my heart:

Image via Country Living

For easy, no-carving inspiration, check out last year's Halloween pumpkin post!

Which pumpkin inspiration is your favorite?  What cool plans do you have for your Halloween pumpkin?

Pretty Paper

I have a wedding invitation appointment tomorrow & I'm really, really excited because I don't have such appointments much anymore.  I'm not comfortable bringing strangers to my home studio & I'm not lugging my heavy invitation books elsewhere.  But tomorrow is a fun appointment with a family friend that will give me the golden chance to flex my creative invitation muscles.  Now I have invitations on my mind! 

Invitations are my favorite wedding detail & I'd love to share some recent finds with you:

Invitation by Avie Designs

via Oh So Beautiful Paper

The modern, lasercut Mexican Papel Picado invitation is AMAZING!  I'm in absolute awe.  This invitation is practically too good to be true.  I would love, LOVE to receive this invitation to a fun, fiesta wedding!! 

   Invitation by Julia Kostreva

via Once Wed

No doubt about it, letterpress is beautiful.  This Fall invitation takes letterpress invitations to a new level with a process called split ink fountain.  I don't know anything about split ink fountain except that I absolutely love it!

Invitation by Woodland Papercuts

via Postcards and Pretties

This charming invitation is named Deer Beloved.  I mean, that just about says it all!  Papercutting is used to create the invitation & I'm a huge fan of the results.   I'm picturing a winter wedding in Aspen.

Invitation by Scout's Honor Co.

via 100 Layer Cake

Nautical-themed weddings & invitations are nothing new but the fabulous watercolor design takes this invitation to another level.  I know from my art class days that watercolor is no easy feat so I really admire this design.  It's a fresh, pretty take on a classic waterfront wedding. 

For more of my fun invitation picks, check my Paper Board on Pinterest!

What invitations are you loving these days?

Fall Lovin'

One crisp, cool October Sunday each year, you can find me & my husband celebrating the Fall season at Wightman's Farm.  This tradition dates back to my childhood, now it's our tradition too.  The farm is a seasonal delight of products like pumpkins & apples & of activities like pumpkin slings & apple picking.  RZ & I are in it for the farm's fresh & delicious apple cider & donuts, not to mention the miles & miles of plump pumpkins.

 
We loaded up on two cups of hot apple cider, two gallons of apple cider & two dozen donuts before I began my search for the perfect pumpkins.  Sometimes it takes awhile but with the threat of rain, I was amazingly quick this year.  That's me in the purple skirt in absolute Fall glory with my cup of hot apple cider & our bags of homemade donuts as I pick the two most perfect pumpkins:

RZ convinces me to pose for a photo among the corn stalks & while I can bear to be separated from my new pumpkins, there is no way I'm letting go of my hot cider & yummy donuts:

My hubs says Hello & Happy Fall:

He had his eye on this Jets pumpkin & I insisted we decorate our own.  Then I was left wondering who has the incredibly fun job of painting these pumpkins?  Where do I sign up?

Much like Fall, traditions are comforting.  Once upon a time, I shared this tradition with my birth family, now it's a delight to create & enjoy this tradition with my baby family (remember: this does not mean we are having a baby!). & our yearly trip to the farm never disappoints.  We celebrate not only the gorgeous season but the delight of making yet another sweet memory in beautiful life we have together.  Till next year, Wightman's Farm!

What are your favorite Fall traditions?